By Gina Cuclis

Being interviewed by a newspaper reporter doesn't guarantee your name with a quote will appear in an article. You must say something that's worth including. Reporters are looking for quotes that make significant statements

How to Be Quotable

When being interviewed, your objective should be to make a concise and compelling statement illustrating the issue or situation. Preferable still, is a statement that also communicates emotion. The news media like emotion, because it enhances human interest.

Case Study Example

This example is from my personal experience. I was quoted in an article in the August 22, 2010 Santa Rosa about the community's reaction to the FDIC seizure of Sonoma Valley Bank. The PD reporter called me for an interview, because he saw my comments on  Twitter.



Before I returned his phone call, I thought about what I should say that would capture what the closing of the bank meant to me and others in the community. I thought of the statement, "It almost feels like the death of a friend." This quote was included in the article. It's concise, compelling, has emotion and illustrates the situation.

Twitter's Impact

I can't conclude this example without pointing out the role of Twitter. This case study shows how Twitter is a powerful tool for getting publicity. Journalists follow it. If I hadn't tweeted my reaction to the bank seizure, the PD wouldn't have contacted me.

What's your experience with being interviewed, or with getting publicity because of a tweet? Did you get new ideas from this post? Please share your comments. Thank you for reading.